


Straight to the Heart

by SlinkySpiders



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Blood, Guns, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One Shot, Shooting, i love these boys wth, light ignoct, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 14:32:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11488338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlinkySpiders/pseuds/SlinkySpiders
Summary: Noctis has a lot of memories from his time in the city. Ignis taking a bullet for him is definitely not his favorite.





	Straight to the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Sorry I don’t really post much anymore. Also sorry about not updating my other ffxv fic,,,I realized how flawed it was soon after I posted it yikes. I may go back and finish it, I may not ;A; 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fic! Just a warning for blood is all!

He would remember the incident with starling clarity, perhaps as one of the sharpest memories in his life. It was the waning summer of his final year in high school. Prompto had a part-time job so they hadn’t been hanging out as much (Noctis had considered it, but then realized his presence at any business was an unfair and unwanted distraction from what the business probably wanted). They’d met up on weekends sometimes or late at night when Prompto needed a ride. 

And so he was spending most of his spare time around Ignis. The advisor was almost always at his apartment, typically going over reports or maintaining Noctis’ health. Noctis appreciated the help but he also knew Ignis was in a tight bind, unsure of how much he should push on the young prince while still maintaining his last summer of youth before he would be thrust into Insomnian politics forever.

It was a typical summer afternoon. Noctis had the air at full blast. He felt fine, but he knew Ignis was a little weak in the cold and so Noctis had loaned him one of his many hoodies. They were going over some financial reports of the numerous distracts of Insomnia, something Noctis needed to be acquainted with if he was ever to get a grasp of the demographic. Every once and a while Noctis would look up to get a warm feeling in his stomach at the sight of Ignis in his clothing. They weren’t really dating, so to speak, but they’d shared many moments together in the evening when Noctis took it upon himself to help Ignis relax. He wanted to push the older man for more, but he wasn’t sure what would break the small thing they had between them and so he took to savoring their affection as it was. 

Noctis stretched and yawned, body stiff from sitting for so long, “How much more of this do we have to go over?” 

Ignis flipped through the folder, “About five more pages.”

Noctis groaned, “Can we break first?”

Ignis shook his head, but he was wearing a smile, “Two more pages, then we can break.”

Noctis relented, “Deal. Deal.”

Ignis paused for a moment, “Would you like some tea though? I’m a bit parched.”

Noctis stood before Ignis had the chance to, “Sure. I’ll make it though, you’re always making it for me.”

“It’s really no-”

Noctis waved him off, “Shush, it’s fine. I’m capable of at least making a pot of tea. At least, I should be.”

Ignis grinned, “Should I be worried?”

Noctis snorted as he walked over to the sink to fill the kettle, “Nah, I’ve got this. What kind of king would I be if I couldn’t even make a pot of tea?”

Ignis chuckled, “You’d be surprised. Your father is rubbish at it himself.”

“Really? Dad is? How do you know that?” Noctis questioned as he rifled through his cabinet for the blend he knew Ignis preferred.

“Clarus has graced me on many occasions with tales of your father’s ineptitude when it comes to cooking,” Ignis explained. 

“Was Clarus drunk?” Noctis questioned. 

“Yes, yes he was,” Ignis replied. 

Noctis laughed, “Yeah. That explains it. At least I know where I’ve got it from. You know anything about my mother?”

Ignis went still. Noctis hardly ever mentioned his other parent, mostly because he didn’t really know anything about her, “Nothing to note.”

Noctis frowned but continued to make the tea, his hand steady on the pot. He could go back and sit at the table but he opted instead to lean his hip against the stove and look out across his apartment to the spanning, open windows that covered the left side of the room. It was almost sunset, the sky just beginning to turn, and Noctis looked out across the city with a weight in his chest. There was just so much. He couldn’t truly understand how he was supposed to care for all of it one day. It was a bit overwhelming.

He heard the pot begin to scream and he turned, ready to pour, when Ignis suddenly popped up beside him.

“It looks good Noc-”

What happened next must’ve occurred in slow motion as Noctis doesn’t recall it in any other way. 

He turned suddenly, almost burning himself on the kettle, and a million sensations hit him all at once. The glass shattering as the bullet pierced through it, slamming itself into Ignis’ chest before departing. The kettle continuing to screech. A sudden, searing pain slicing up the side of his arm and enflaming his shoulder.

He was then abruptly aware the amount of blood spilling all over his hands. It made his palms burn. He secondly realized that it wasn’t his own as Ignis fell on top of him, his body overwhelming red and heavy. In a rush they both collapsed to the ground and Noctis gasped as he tried to piece together what was happening. He only knew one thing for sure: whoever had just shot them was most likely still out there. He had to get them out of their sights. His eyes shot to the kitchen island, positioned as so that one side was facing away from the window. He grit his teeth as he tucked his head down and heaved Ignis’ body over his own. His arm was scorching fiercely but he tried to push the pain down as he lugged their bodies together. Somehow, he managed to get them both over without the sniper taking another shot. 

Maybe they’d left? Who knows. Noctis didn’t care.

But he had no time to consider more than that. His mind was moving a mile a minute, hands slippery with blood and chest tight with panic, as he took in the sight before him. Ignis was still bleeding, unmoving and silent. Noctis could barely comprehend it.

All he could hear was the screams of the kettle, continuing to wail despite the assassination attempt, and his own heart beating wildly in his ears.

Making sure they were still hidden, he flipped Ignis over onto his back and let out a sob. From that brief look he determined that that bullet had gone through Ignis’ left upper chest, a clean shot, before embedding itself in Noctis arm. Ignis was still breathing, but his breaths were shallow. He had his eyes wrenched shut, sweat making his bangs stick to the side of his face. Noctis was panicking, hands this way and that. He didn’t know what to do-

“Noct,” Ignis rasped, “Noct, are you al-alright?”

His words were low as if it took all he had to say them. He opened his eyes slightly, but Noctis could tell he was in a lot of pain. 

“Shush, don’t speak, I’m fine, I’m fine. You’re gonna be fi-fine too Ignis, I promise, “ Noctis blabbered, words spilling out of his mouth all at once.

Ignis looked to his shoulder and frowned, “You-you’re bleeding.”

Noctis hushed him again, “Don’t worry about it. Just a scratch.” He told himself and Ignis.

Ignis didn’t say anything back, instead seeming to focus on his breathing instead. Noctis felt that panic wrap itself around his heart again but he forced it down. He needed-he needed to call for help. Ignis was going to _die_. He patted his pants madly, trying to feel for his phone and thanked the Astrals when he realized he had left it in one of his back pockets. He didn’t know how much time Ignis had left until-

His thumbs, still wet, slipped as he tried to type in the passcode. He growled angrily and tried twice more before finally opening it and dialing the only number he could think to. He couldn’t risk endangering civilians right now. Not if that sniper could still be there.

“Hello?” 

“Gladio-Gladio please. Please I need you to come to-to the house right now please. And bring the medics or the crownsguard or something-please Iggy is gonna die. Gladio please-“

“Whoa slow down, what’s going on?” Gladio questioned.

“He’s been shot! Iggy’s been shot! There was a sniper and he missed and I-I don’t know what to do-“

“Calm down. I’ll be there in ten with the guard. Try to keep him stable Noct,” Gladio instructed.

Ignis had gone strangely quiet and Noctis’ eyes darted to his chest, now completely still. 

“Gladio, I-I-gotta go,” He sputtered.

“Noct-wait!” 

He turned off the phone quickly. Gladio knew where he lived. It was fine.

The same could not be said for Ignis. The color was rapidly draining from his face and Noctis couldn’t tell if he was still breathing. This was it, he had to do something. He knew only a handful of healing magic, just enough to get by and heal his cuts and bruises. But it was better than nothing. If he didn’t do anything, Ignis might not make it by the time Gladio got there. As he placed his hands on Ignis’ chest he tried to remember as much healing magic as he could. He figured just pouring it into Ignis couldn’t hurt.

He leaned forward, kissing Ignis on the lips slightly before driving his magic into his palms and letting the pressure of his abilities overwhelm the pain of his injury and force him to focus on keeping Ignis alive. It seemed he’d passed out but Noctis paid that no mind. He kept his hands steady, eyes on the wound as the bleeding began to lull with each wave of magic he pumped into his advisor. A sharp pain shot through his temple but he pushed it aside. He knew that using this much magic at once probably wasn’t _that_ good for him, but at this point he could care less.

That’s how Gladio found him, ten minutes later, sweating and almost to the point of unconsciousness. Ignis had long ago stopped bleeding even as Noctis himself was still pouring out. 

“By the Six, what the hell happened,” Gladio barked.

Noctis felt his arms give out, the sight of help finally breaking his determination as exhaustion overtook him. He collapsed, vision spinning. He was distantly aware of the medics coming in and the crownsguard clearing his apartment, but all those sounds became muffled. Ignis was pulled away from him and he cried out, but nothing made sense anymore.

He didn’t remember passing out. 

\------

When he woke up, his eyes burned and his head pounded. He felt like he’d been thrown out of a car and stomped on by behemoth. 

It took him a few moments to realize he was in the Citadel infirmary. It was empty besides him, as it typically was, and the sight made a shiver run down his spine as memories were brought back to him from after his accident. Those had been some of the hardest moments in his life. Ignis’ blood stained body flashed in his mind suddenly and he considered that perhaps those memories may have a close runner up. In the scheme of it all, barely anything compared to seeing Ignis covered in gore.

_Ignis-!_

He almost jolted upright but he found he had no energy to do so. He moaned instead and turned his head to relieve some of the stiffness in his shoulders. He wanted to get up _right this instant_ to check on Ignis. He wasn’t in here with him-did that mean?

“Noct? Noct are you awake?”

Ignis came into his field of vision, expression soft with exhaustion and relief. Noctis let Ignis help him sit up, hands gently guiding a pillow behind his back. He waited until the pain in his body settled before speaking again. 

“What happened?” Noctis started.

“An assassination attempt. The sniper missed his shot when I moved to check up on you. You’re lucky you’re shorter than me or he may have made his mark,” Ignis said grimly.

Noctis frowned, “Yikes. Did they find the guy?”

“Yes, he was found several buildings over with a bullet in his head, seemingly self-inflicted,” Ignis told him.

Noctis didn’t like the idea of someone visibly trying to kill him and it must’ve shown on his face as Ignis spoke again.

“It appears that he was working on his own, but there are some signs that indicate he had connections to Niflheim,” Ignis stated, “Regardless, your security will be heightened for the next few months until the Crownsguard can be certain the threat has been cleared.”

Noctis nodded, “I expected as much.”

“Indeed.”

Noctis wasn’t sure what to say. All he could recall was the warmth of Ignis’ blood on his hands. The memory made him shake causing the ache in his body to flare up uncomfortably. He groaned visibly and tried to readjust himself.

“Noct?” Ignis questioned. 

“Sorry,” Noctis grimacing, “Just sore.”

“I bet,” Ignis replied, “You’ve been out for a week.”

Noctis would have shuddered if he hadn’t already learned that the motion would cause him a decent amount of pain, “What?” 

Ignis took a deep breath before explaining, “You exhausted your body when you healed mine. In fact, I was only in the infirmary for a few days as your magic repair the majority of the damage.”

Noctis smiled, “Oh. Well glad to be of service then.”

Ignis didn’t grin, “But in the process you exasperated your own wounds, lost countless amounts of blood, and pushed your own body to the limit. I was told you most likely would have died if Gladio had not shown up when he had.”

Ignis’ tone was low and Noctis knew that was a sign of how upset he truly was. He had never been a fan of Noctis’ lack of self-preservation, but it seemed this had been the most upsetting incident to date. Noctis honestly couldn’t blame him. 

Noctis reached out his hand to settle it on Ignis’ thigh, “Iggy, I couldn’-I couldn’t just let you die.”

Ignis’s expression tightened, “But at the sake of your own life? You’re the prince! You can’t just expect-“

His words stopped short, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to shout at you the moment you awaken. But, there’s just-”

“Look, Iggy, I get it. But no matter what you tell me I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Did I die? No. I’m still here with you,” He kept his hand firm on Ignis, “And no matter what, I’ll always protect you.”

Ignis smiled, “You’ve always been too overdramatic for your own good. You do know it’s our job to protect you, right?”

Noctis shrugged despite the pain, “What can I say? It’s just my style.”

Ignis shook his head, “You’re never going to be easy, are you?” 

Noctis smirked, “That’s why you love me, remember?” 

Ignis didn’t reply with words; he leaned in and gently kissed Noctis for a few moments, as if taking his time. Perhaps they had more than they thought between them.

“Yes. I do indeed,” Ignis said fondly.


End file.
